Cook: Chicken Salad with Lemon and Pesto

You have a jar of homemade pesto in your refrigerator, right? Good, you’re well on your way. This chicken salad is what happens after quick but easy planning early in the week. A rotisserie chicken and a jar of homemade pesto opens a world of really great, really fresh lunch ideas, and this simple chicken salad is one of them.

There’s no reason lunch should be an afterthought. Leftovers are always a big hit for me, and I like when I am able to make a meal that feels just as special as dinner, but doesn’t steal minutes of precious lunch breaks.

That jar of pesto is a game changer. It’s a injection of flavor and freshness and when added to a basic chicken salad it shines. A little mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon for brightness makes lunch a meal to be savored. A tomato salad and a couple of crackers makes this lunch well-rounded and healthy.

This chicken salad could go on a wrap, on a sandwich, with a green salad, or with a couple of crackers and some home-grown cherry tomatoes, like me.

It’s fresh, it’s quick, it’s easy, and it beats the heck out of that cup of noodles. Do people really eat those for lunch? I’ve been watching a lot of The Office reruns and that seems to be what they reach for.

This can be made in the morning before work and and packed away for later as easy as it can be made at lunch time.

And all it took was a couple of extra steps early in the week so that your refrigerator is ready. Plus, once you’ve gotten all of that meat, you can make and freeze some homemade stock with the rest! It’s a win-win, really.